I.10b Department Administrators’ List of Annual Reminders and Responsibilities

The lengthy to-do list that appears below reflects the cycle of responsibilities that are usually attended to by the administrators and staff in L&S departments. Given that L&S departments vary greatly in size, the list given here may be achieved by one person or several, in varying degrees of partnership and consultation with the faculty (if only as the voice of conscience, reminding them of deadlines or of work they must do). The tasks themselves may vary depending on departmental mission, level of research and development activity. It is important to consider this fact when reviewing the list that it is not intended to reflect a "one-size-fits-all" understanding of our departments, but as a tool for helping administrators and staff plan and manage the many tasks they must accomplish each year.

This document is based on materials provided by Christine Dargas (Dept. Administrator, Hebrew & Semitic Studies) and Sandi Russell (Department Administrator, Art History); further refinements were developed in collaboration with members of the Letters & Science Department Administrators Network (LSDAN). We thank them for sharing their insights with administrators across the college.

JULY

• Blanket order requisitions for new fiscal year or COR forms returned
• Review 2As (Classified, Academic Staff and Faculty) for accuracy
• Prepare faculty recruitment materials if authorized to recruit; place ads.
• Prepare for new faculty arrivals
• Complete Summer Departmental Instructional Report (DIR)
• Receive Appointment Fiscal Year Reports (AFYR)
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

AUGUST  

• Compile and schedule course evaluations for 8-week summer session classes.
• Organize course evaluations to be sent to Testing and Evaluation for calculation.
• Prepare necessary paperwork for payrolling Fall appointments (IADS & appointment letters)
• Remind new employees of benefits available to them with their appointments and that benefit forms must be turned in by August 31 to have coverage beginning in September or within 30 days of their begin date.
• Send out notification of Benefits and Tax workshops to new employees
• Short term Staffing requests for Spring
• Tuition Remission spreadsheets due to Bursars office
• Prepare and submit reader requests to Associate Dean Nancy Westphal-Johnson
• Schedule Department Faculty and Executive Committee meetings
• Prepare and distribute Department phone, office hours and faculty lists.
• Remind Chair to finalize all department committee appointments and Junior faculty review committees.
• Orientation for TA’s and new Faculty.
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

SEPTEMBER

• Instruction Begins
• Department Picnic
• Department Welcome Social Hour
• Graduate Student Reception
• TA Early Report due in Dean’s Office
• Department Instructional Report (DIR) sent for review
• Sabbatical leave proposals due to Chairs, then to Dean at the end of this month/beginning of the next month
• Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Grants (UTLG) due to departments
• Request Faculty to submit updated vitae
• Graduate School Research Proposals due
• Executive Committee vote on delegation of certain matters to the Chair.
• Distribute Department Policies and Procedures
• Remind faculty of need to replenish Sunshine fund
• Committees to review probationary faculty should be appointed and dates set for review by Executive Committee
• Start the discussion for Summer Timetable Proposals
• Spring final Timetable due
• Call for Short-term staffing and undergraduate initiative funding for spring.
• Assist Graduate School Research Committee member with scheduling interviews with faculty who applied for Graduate School Research grants
• Indirect cost and instructional remodeling needs should be identified and prioritized.
• Dual Choice information sent to departments and employees
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

OCTOBER

• Dual Choice begins
• Receive from Dean requests for Summer Session proposals
• Send letters to faculty being reviewed, probationary junior faculty, faculty being reviewed for tenure and post-tenured faculty, try to have dates scheduled.
• Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Grants (UTLG) grant proposals due to the Dean.
• Sabbatical proposals due to the Dean.
• Research service grant proposals due to departments http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/grants/researchservicegrants.html
• L&S Classified Staff Excellence Awards
• Faculty Early Career Development (NSF) due
• Faculty Development Grants
• Summer Session proposals due to Dean
• Mid October Extended-Day proposals due
• First call Fall Timetable
• Spring tenure review: work with chair on list of referees, collect material from candidate to be sent out to referees (vita, autobiographic sheet, publications). Have candidate get copies of books at author’s discount and reimburse them from department
• Start the PVL process for Spring Lecturers
• Faculty need to observe Teaching Assistants teaching.
• State Employee Combined Campaign (SECC) “Partners in Giving” starts
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

NOVEMBER

• Nomination for Career Distinguished Service Awards for Retired Classified Staff due
• Nominations for Campus-wide TA Awards due
• Romnes Faculty Fellowship, Kellett Mid-Career and Named Professorship and WARF/UNIV Houses Named Professorship files due to Graduate School , with one copy to the Dean’s office 105 South Hall.
• Announcement of Brittingham Scholars sent to departments
• Process appointment letters and payroll for spring TAs and Lecturers
• Job Security for Academic Staff memorandums sent to departments
• SECC-wrap up
• Update Summer Timetable
• First draft of Fall timetable distributed to faculty
• Notification of Distinguished Teaching Awards received
• Spring registration begins
• Thanksgiving recess
• Compile and schedule course evaluations.
• ERA and supplemental insurance enrollment deadlines
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

DECEMBER

• Prepare Course Evaluation packets for both faculty instructors and teaching assistants. Evaluations need to be done last two weeks of classes
• Summer Budget approved
• Memorandum of Agreement sent to departments for Summer Session faculty
• E-grading starts
• Summer Final Timetable
• Fall timetable initial deadline
• Classified requests for vacation carryover
• Tuition remission spreadsheet to Registrar’s office
• 3 rd Party Deferrals - tuition remission
• Finalizing TA appointments for Spring, process appointment letters and payroll documents
• Professional Activity Reports/Post-Tenure Review memo
• Indirect Cost Capital Exercise Funds allocated to departments
• Complete necessary paperwork for Spring payroll
• Research Committee awards announced
• Winter Recess
• Organize course evaluations to be sent to Testing and Evaluation for calculation.
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

JANUARY

• Classes begin Tuesday after Martin Luther King Day
• Collect office hours for faculty and TA’s for the spring semester
• Orientation for New TA’s & Lecturers
• Short-term staffing and undergraduate initiative staffing requests for fall due in South Hall
• Academic Staff Job security request due in South Hall later this month
• Nominations for Distinguished Teaching Awards Due
• Academic Staff Excellence Award nominations due
• Executive Committee evaluation of Associate Professors up for promotion to Full (in title over 5 years)
• Request Activity Reports from Faculty
• Nominations for L&S Academic Staff Awards due
• Finish TA appointment letters and payroll processing for Spring
• Reader Request sent to Associate Dean Nancy Westphal-Johnson
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

FEBRUARY

• Professional Activity Reports due
• Nominations for Vilas and “at large” Bascom Professorships due to Dean
• Kemper Knapp Bequest proposals due
• Proposals for Wisconsin/Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowship due
• Honors course funding request due
• Nominations for L&S Teaching Fellows due
• Academic Advising Award Nominations due
• Process PVL’s for summer lecturers
• Tenure roster & faculty probation record materials sent to departments for review
• Faculty need to observe Teaching assistant teaching.
• Short term staffing requests for Fall
• Fiscal year Requisition and encumbrance deadline dates (both UW Accounting & L&S Business office) sent to departments
• Requests for Affiliation should be considered at Executive committee meeting
• Budget and Merit Exercise begins (2A)
• Chair Ballots should be sent out to all faculty
• Honors Summer Sophomore Research Apprenticeship grant due
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

MARCH

• Requests for Academic Staff promotions due
• Proposals for Brittingham Visiting Scholars due to Provost’s Office
• All recommendations for promotion to full professor forwarded to the Dean
• Re-appointment of Junior faculty should be discussed at Executive Committee
• Deadline for submitting proposals for approval of communication requirement courses for next fall
• Emeritus Status recommendations due to South Hall
• On-line Outside Activity Reports and Financial Disclosure Forms Due
• Continuing support letters to graduate students on guaranteed funding
• Departmental Chair ballots due to Dean’s Office
• Merit recommendations due to the Dean
• Announcement of Discretionary Compensation Adjustment (DCA) sent to Chairs and employees who are eligible.
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

APRIL

• Discretionary Compensation Adjustment (DCA) Nominations due
• Academic Staff Professional Development Grants due to the Dean
• Summer and Fall Registration begins
• Start preparing TA/PA appointment letter for Fall if information is available
• Last call from the Dean for reappointment of probationary faculty and promotion letters.
• Complete all assistant Professor reviews
• Requests for faculty recruitment next year due
• Nominations for honorary degrees due
• Start the spring timetable process
• Honors Funding for Study Abroad and Research related travel nominations due mid-April
• Parking information will be emailed out. Be sure new faculty and faculty on leave get information
• Summer Session Payroll Guidelines sent to departments
• Capital Exercise summary due to Anne Gunther
• Compile and schedule course evaluations.
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

MAY

• Faculty nominations to serve on University Committees sent out
• Teaching and Learning with Technology Grant proposals due to Division of Informational Technology
• Last Day of Class
• Organize course evaluations to be sent to Testing and Evaluation for calculation.
• Post Tenure reports due in the Dean’s office
• Timetable for spring due
• Multiple Deduction Report for health insurance sent to departments.
• Executive Committee delegates authority for summer decisions to the Summer Chair
• Orientation for New Summer Lecturers
• Be sure all capital funds have been spent or encumbered.
• Observe L&S Business Office Accounting deadlines
• Review all grant end dates to meet spending deadline so funds are not lost
• Electronic application process for Parking due
• Three Week Summer session begins
• Course evaluations for three week classes
• Reminder Capital Exercise funds must be spent by June deadline
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

JUNE

• 8-week Summer Session begins
• SOAR begins
• Renew Honorary Fellow appointment letters sent
• Summer Payroll is very different from AY – use the guidelines provided by payroll office
• Carefully check grants for final balances and make any adjustments before the fiscal year is closed out.
• Donor Relations: Last day of month: check UW Foundation website for monthly donors & mail thank-you letters

THEN START ALL OVER AGAIN!